Music is an important part of being a wakeboarder. It’s an important part of being a human being, actually, but it can enhance the wake experience so much it bears mentioning. Jeff McKee loves wakeboarding. He also loves music (he’s been in multiple bands). If you’re like Jeff and you love wakeboarding and music, chances are you also love wakeboarding music (i.e. the tunes used in wake videos over the years). Jeff recently created the “Wake Jamz” playlist on Spotify, and we can’t recommend it enough. Currently it holds over 100 songs used in video parts all the way back to Spray, and more songs are being added regularly. Here’s McKees take on all things wake music.
Best songs ever used in wake videos:
“Simple Man” – Lynyrd Skynyrd
“No Cigar” – Millencolin
“All I Want” – The Offspring
Worst songs ever used in wake videos:
It’s definitely getting more difficult to find gems, especially with licensings issues nowadays. It was definitely a lot better in the good ol’ days when all songs were wide open. I found so many of my favorite bands through wake videos.
Best rap/hip-hop songs in wake videos:
“Nightfall” – Tash
“Playaz Club” – Rappin’ 4-Tay
“Who Ride Wit Us” – Kurupt
Best punk songs in wake videos:
“Here In Your Bedroom” – Goldfinger
“Dammit” – Blink 182
“My Own Country” – Pennywise
Best headbanging songs in wake videos:
“Bombtrack” – Rage Against the Machine
“Mountain Song” – Jane’s Addiction
“Gotta Go” – Agnostic Front
The most “that’s not a typical wake video song, but it totally works” songs:
“They Are Night Zombies!! They are Neighbors!! They have come back from the dead!! Ahhhhh!” – Sufjan Stevens
“Old Man” – Neil Young
“Gotta Go” – Agnostic Front
The songs that make you want to get out and ride your face off:
“West End Riot” – The Living End
“Emergence” – Fischerspooner
“Harmonic” – Unwritten Law
Songs that you wanted for your own video sections but got used by somebody else:
None come to mind, but if you dive deep into my Spotify you’ll find them, along with a bunch of weird guilty pleasure jams, as well. Haha!
Classics that haven’t been used for a video section but totally should be:
These are newer, but gems that would make an epic new movie…
Phantogram
Tame Impala
Alabama Shakes
Wake videos with the best overall soundtracks:
Mayday
Pre Pop
Spray
Drop the Gun
